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Copyright N°_ it — 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT; 



Rancp's 

Caster 6ift 



B!> 

mpra Baldwin 



3.3 



THE 



Mhbey Press 

PUBLISHERS 

114 

FIFTH AVENUE 

Condon NEW YORK Montreal 



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I??z 



THE LIBRARY «F 

G©NGR£SS, 
Two Copies Receive* 

. 16 1902 

Copyright entry 
CLASS <*- XXa No 

% id £«r 

OQPY B. 



Copyright, \yj%, 

by 

THE 

Hbbey press 




Kaiicp's Caster Gift* 

PRIEN', ye axed me how religion 
Come to us among the hills. 
'Taint no lightsome story, nuther, — 
Jes' the thought my ole heart thrills. 



"Twas all through my leetle darter 
That died twenty year ago. 
Folk they called her saint an' holy 
'Cause she saved us all from woe. 



1 



Rancp's Caster Gift 



HE was like a star o' heaven 
Shinin' on her drunken dad — 
But the story — yes, I'll tell it, 
Though it makes me powerful sad. 

None too good was folks in meetin' 
Not to speak o' we-uns out; 
Seemed jes' like the hosts of evil 
Never could be put to rout. 

Night an' day the po're ole preacher 
Toiled till strength was well-nigh spent, 
But them hearts, so hard and horny, 
Wouldn't give in wurth a cent. 



Rancp's €aster Gift* 



7 A'AL one Sunday 
he was preachin' 
'Bout the heathen an' the 

po're, 
Askin' fur the mites an' 

dollars 
Out o' their abundant store. 

Lookin' over all them 

people 
Thar warn't one that he 

could touch, 
But he didn't see my 

Nancy 
Holdin' tight her shinin' 

crutch. 




Rancp's Caster Gift. 



AYIN' "Lord, I ain't got nuthhr, 
Ain't got nuthin' fur ter give." 
Then a somethin' seemed ter whisper, 
"Don't that crutch most help yer live? 

"It's nigh wurth them needed dollars ; 
Can't yer give up yer bes' frien', — 
Though it's all that makes yer happy — 
An' to God its service len'?" 

Then a queer light, bright an' holy, 
Shone across her face, as she 
Sobbin ; , whispered to herself like, 
"He gin up more'n that fur me." 



llancp's €a$ter Gift* 





.OWN the aisle the solemn 
i-L^ deacon 

Slowly passed the empty plate, 
Folks pertendin' not to see it, — 
But my Nancy's eyes looked 

straight, 



An' right in them hands, so 

trembly, 
That ere shinin' crutch she placed. 
Then yer orter seen them sinners 
Lookin' guilty an' shamefaced! 



ttancp's Caster Gift, 



HOW the deacon stared an' wondered, 
Till it sprung up in his mind 
She war givin' to her Father 
This one thing what she could find. 

Up in front, an' on the pulpit 
Thar he laid that Easter gift. 
Quiet lasted 'most a minute, 
Then the crutch on high was lift, 

An' them eyes of that ere preacher 
Heaped right up with many a tear. 
An' although his voice was shakin', 
Hard he tried ter- make folks hear. 



Rancp's Caster 6ift, 



"If^O ye see this, brethren, sist'ren, 

-L^' What this noble chile hez done? 
She hez gin up all her pleasures 
Fur a greater, grander one. 



"She hez gin up all them journeys 
Over whar the flowers grow ; 
Over whar the birds sing happy 
An' the sparklin' waters flow." 

Then spoke someone 'mong them people, 
In a low and husky tone, 
"Folks, ye'd best gin back to Nancy 
That one frien' what she hez known." 



Rancp's Caster Gift. 




AY, I'll gin a hunderd dol- 
lars," 

Come a loud, excitin' cry ; 
'Tut me down fur 'n other hun- 
derd," 
Someone else called quick near by. 

So they kep' right on a-givin' 
'Till the crutch they couldn't see, 
Fur 'twas piled that high with 

money — 
Jes' ez much as it could be. 

This tuk place on that ere Sunday 
More than twenty year ago, 
Still we think o' little Nancy 
When the Easter flowers blow. 



Since that time I've read the Scripters, 
An' believe with all my might 
That a leetle chile shall lead 'em 
Right along up ter the light. 
10 



APR 1 6 1902 



APR 16 1902 

1 COPY DEL. TO CAT .niV, 



APR. 23 1902 





















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